Despite the Circumstances
by sora wa kirei a.k.a. KKForeverFan
Summary: AU KK King Sagara of the Kasshin Kingdom assembled together a meeting of princes around the country to find a suitable husband for his sister. However, he hadn't expected her to fall in love with a mere soldier... or so they thought. AoMi SaMeg
1. The Prince

Summary: AU KK King Sagara of the Kasshin Kingdom assembled together a meeting of princes around the country to find a suitable husband for his sister. However, he hadn't expected her to fall in love with a mere soldier... or so they thought. AoMi SaMeg 

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is not mine… yet. I'm wondering when he'll give it to me, you know. Hehehe…

Chapter 1: The Prince

Kamiya Kaoru was mad. RAGING mad. "ONII-SAN!" she shrieked, making all the people in the castle wince.

Her tall brother, the king of the Kasshin Kingdom, materialized out of thin ear, a playful grin in his handsome features. "Well, well… what's got my little sister in this fit?"

She all but sneered, jabbing a finger towards the direction of the Royal Hall. "As if you don't know! Who are those- those MEN waiting in our living room asking for my hand!"

He smiled innocently, but she wasn't fooled for one second. "Oh? They're your suitors, of course. Have you already chosen your husband?"

"H-HUSBAND!" she sputtered. "WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING!"

Sanosuke Sagara Kamiya shrugged, ignoring the way his sister's hands flexed involuntarily. "I just want to get you see settled before I die. No harm in that," he said solemnly.

She resisted the urge to scream profanities at her brother. He IS the king, after all. Instead, she glared at all the noblemen who were watching them in fascination. What are we? Some kind of show? They quickly evaporated from the scene. "Onii-san," she started, her temper flaring. "You are only 26 years old. You are young and you have a prospering kingdom in your hands." She took a deep breath. "YOU ARE FAR FROM DYING, YOU BAKA TORI-ATAMA!"

He chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. But I'm getting old and you- you're 23 already! You should be having your third child right now!"

The tight hold she had on her temper snapped like a dry twig. "I will marry who I want, Sanosuke, and I don't care if I become an old maid just waiting!"

The king looked slightly taken aback at her outburst. Suddenly, he smiled- a warm affectionate smile that he only reserved for two people- Kaoru and their cousin, Misao. "I know, Kaoru. I just want to see you happy…"

Her anger dissipated at this statement. Sighing, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I AM happy, onii-san. Sorry for shouting at you."

Grinning childishly, he patted her head. "Che! It's my fault anyway. Could you just look at them? Just for a second?" he pleaded, brown puppy dog eyes gazing into hers.

"Mou… I am TOO soft…" she muttered. "Fine. Just a second."

He smirked. "I am sure you will like one of them, sis. Dead sure."

* * *

Kaoru scowled inwardly, putting her arms across her chest. The bunch of fools her brother called suitors were really well, fools! Either they want her for the money, the fame, or her body. As if. One of them, a brainless prince who had come from a nearby kingdom was currently describing his father's palace. She gritted her teeth when he found another way to touch her.

This prince, Tama Hiroki, grinned, his eyes lighting with lust. "Princess Kaoru, it will do me a great honor if you agree on becoming my-" The sound of a trumpet interrupted his speech, and Kaoru was eternally grateful for the distraction. She was about to punch the man if left talking with him for a few more seconds. "The Prince of Hiten Mitsurugi."

She gasped softly when she found herself staring at the most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on. He has crimson hair, tied high on his head- as samurais do. The strands shone like liquid flame in the sunlight, and her fingers itched to bury themselves in his red locks. His eyes were the most beautiful shade of amber, darker than any night she has ever seen. A cross-shaped scar marred his handsome- almost feminine- features. For a fleeting moment, she wondered where he had got it, but the feeling quickly vanished when he looked at her. A smirk tugged at his lips, and she felt an unknown feeling sweep over her in seeing him smile. _Oh god, he's gorgeous..._

He suddenly turned, and bowed. She was surprised when another man came into view. Tall and handsome, with the coldest blue eyes. The stranger walked over to her, stiffly took her shaking hand in his, then gave her knuckles a light kiss. "Princess."

"Y-you're the prince of Hiten Mitsurugi?" she stuttered, discreetly looking past him to see the redheaded man standing at the door, the same smirk on his lips.

"Shinomori Aoshi, at your service."

The trumpet blew again. "The Princess of-" The door burst open.

Unexpectedly, her best friend and cousin, Makimachi Misao, bounded towards her, practically oozing genkiness. "KAO-CHAN!" Misao shouted happily, tackling her friend in a bone-crushing hug. "I am SO glad to see you again! It's been like ages!"

Kaoru smiled. "Hello to you too, Misao-chan." Her friend obviously didn't notice that there were a lot of princes around her- or she just didn't care. "I agree. A month is too long. You're looking great."

Misao laughed, twirling and bouncing around, her long braid whipping around her. "Thanks, Kao-chan!" She began prancing around, until she bumped into Aoshi. "Oops!" She looked up at him, grinning. "Ah! And who might you be?" she asked, winking suggestively at Kaoru.

_Oh please_. Kaoru rolled her eyes, mock-glaring at her friend. As soon as Misao had looked away, her glare had vanished quickly, as her gaze shifted to the redhead. She started when she caught him looking at her, intense amber eyes boring in her blue ones. She felt a delightful shiver run down her spine. Nodding slightly at him, she turned her attention back to the prince and Misao, yet her senses were attuned to every move the handsome stranger made. "Misao-chan," she said coolly. " This is Prince Aoshi of the kingdom of Hiten Mitsurugi. Prince Aoshi, this is my cousin, Princess Makimachi Misao of the Oniwabanshuu kingdom."

At the mention of the famous ninja kingdom, the cold prince raised an eyebrow slightly, as if he was familiar with the name. However, formality kicked in, and he bowed gracefully, taking Misao's hand as well, placing a kiss on it. Kaoru's mouth suddenly dropped. Was it just her imagination or Aoshi did linger in holding Misao's hand? And why on earth was Misao blushing?

"Well, that went very... nice." She smiled sweetly at all her other suitors. "Thank you for coming. But as you already know, I have no intention in marrying any of you. This was merely a plan of the king to get me settled." She stood up and gave them an elegant curtsy. "But it was nice meeting you all. Arigato gozaimasu."

Some of the men smiled back in return- though a little bit rueful- and they left promptly after saying their goodbyes. Tama Hiroki's brown eyes darkened, but he said his farewell quite cordially. On his way out, he bumped into the redhead. "Hey! What's up with you!"

Kaoru frowned, purposely ignoring the way Misao stared at her pointedly. It was obvious it was Tama's fault. The redhead was merely standing by the door and he hadn't move an inch since Aoshi entered. _I should know..._ "Hiroki-san-"

For a moment, she saw amber eyes lock with hers, then shift to Aoshi's. The tall man nodded almost imperceptibly. In an instant, the redhead had bowed, his back bent to the waist. "Forgive me, Your Highness."

Tama sneered.

She gasped when he punched the guard's face. "Hiroki-san!"

"Himura." Aoshi said quietly. "No."

The redhead, Kaoru realized his name was Himura, stood up again coolly, then bowed again. She suddenly realized the lethal and catlike grace Himura possessed. "Forgive me, Your Highness." he repeated, though Kaoru could sense the slight hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Apparently, Tama did as well. Snarling, he punched Himura again. This time, the guard took a step back, and Tama smiled evilly in satisfaction. He was about to deliver another blow when-

SLAP!

She was there. Kaoru's eyes were blazing. "I will not tolerate this- this display of arrogance you have just shown, Hiroki-san! You do not have the right to hurt Prince Shinomori's escort!"

"Princess-"

"Fortunately for you, I am wearing a kimono instead of my training gi and I do not have a weapon by my side!" she said coldly, glaring daggers at the man. "In case you haven't noticed, this is my family's kingdom and you- you-" She clenched her fists in anger. How dare he! Hurting a man who will obviously not fight back!

Out of the blue, she heard a deep husky laugh from behind her. Turning around, she was shocked to bump into a hard muscled chest. "Thank you, Your Highness." An arm snaked around her waist, holding her still form against his.

A giggle rose from Misao's throat, and Kaoru was surprised to see Aoshi's eyes twinkling- a little bit- with amusement. With sudden shocking clarity, she grasped the idea that they quite made a picture. She, a princess, in the arms of a guard, and Tama Hiroki, a prince, in front of them with a hand on his face.

"Y-you're welcome..." She smacked herself inwardly. Did that breathy voice just come from her?

Aoshi walked over to Tama, then gave him a blow that sent him sprawling across the floor.

The two princesses gaped.

The guard holding Kaoru grinned slightly. "Thank you, prince Aoshi."

A shrug.

Misao clutched her stomach, doubling over in laughter in seeing the nonchalant look on Aoshi's face. "T-that w-was priceless!" she wheezed.

A small smile tugged at Kaoru's lips. "Misao..."

"And you, my princess..." a quiet voice murmured in her ear. "Again, thank you..."

She blushed at the sound of his voice. "I told you... it was no problem. I would have done the same to any man who was hurt..."

He chuckled, and she decided she'd love to hear his laugh everyday. "I would have done the same for you, your Highness... and a whole lot more..."

"Um, Kaoru?"

She looked blankly at Misao. "Doushite?"

"Could you let go of the poor man now?"

She gasped, realizing she was the one who was holding him- not the other way round. "G-gomen!"

"It's ok. It's the first time I've ever seen you flirt with a guy before anyway." Misao said casually.

The redhead coughed to hide his laugh.

Kaoru blushed to the roots of her raven hair. "MISAO!" She was actually horrified when she saw her friend eyeing the guard. "W-what are you doing!"

"Nice hair you've got there, by the way. No wonder Kao wants to touch it..." the petite woman commented. "What's your name again?"

The redhead bowed. "Himura Kenshin, Your Highness."

_Kenshin. Heart of sword. Beautiful name._

The three looked at Kaoru suddenly. "Did I say that out loud?" she stammered. "Sorry."

An impish grin adorned Kenshin's- he has a name now- features. "Thank you, princess Kaoru."

Misao frowned. "You're small." She glanced at Aoshi's towering height, then back at Kenshin. She shrugged. "You're taller than Kaoru anyway."

Kenshin smiled. "Forgive me for my impudence, Your Highness, but can I ask you a question?"

She grinned. "Of course."

"Are you always this blunt?"

Kaoru's jaw dropped, while Aoshi merely raised an eyebrow.

_Misao's ticking... five, four, three, two-_

The green-eyed beauty nodded cheerfully. "Yup. Always."

Kenshin nodded. "Aa..."

Misao bounced over to Kaoru, patting her friend's shoulder. "I think you should drag him to the nearest temple and marry him." she said frankly.

"MISAO!" she all but hissed. She took no notice of the way Kenshin's amber eyes darkened, his lips curving into a sensual smirk. Ok, well, maybe, she did peek a little...

"You're not here to marry Kao, aren't you, Shinomori-san?"

"No."

Kaoru had the distinct impression that Misao and Aoshi were meant for each other if she could read his mind like that. "No?"

"No."

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "You're joking, right?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Then... why?"

Misao shook her head, perching on Kaoru's previous chair. "That I do not know myself..." She motioned everybody to sit down, even Kenshin. The Kasshin princess was inwardly pleased to see the redhead sitting only inches away from her.

The king barged into the room, seemingly pleased with himself. "So, Kaoru, have you-" He stopped in seeing two strangers with his sister and her friend. "Uh, who are you?"

Aoshi and Kenshin stood up dispassionately, bowing in greeting. "King Sagara." Aoshi said.

Kaoru frowned. "Onii-san, these are your assigned 'suitors.' I can't believe you can't even recognize them."

Sanosuke eyed them strangely. "I don't. I didn't ask them to court you."

"We have heard that Princess Kamiya was taking in suitors so we decided to drop by." Aoshi replied.

"Oh. Well..." Sano sat beside Misao. "Who's courting my sister?"

Nobody moved for a second. Then...

"Our king."

* * *

a/n: so... did any of you like that? this was a spur-of-the-moment thingy and i kinda like the idea of aoshi courting kaoru or something like that... anyway, this is PURELY a KK fic so no need to worry all the fans out there... this is my second fic, by the way...

'Forever With You' will be updated in the next few decades coz i'm having a real hard time continuing the story. Call it writer's block or something... plus, i want reviews! (sobs) i feel so alone!

(grins) anyway, if you like this story, pls press the little button down there reading 'GO'... if you don't like the story, still press 'GO' and try to put in some good words for me, ok? thanks! if you don't read this, well, i dunno... just press 'GO' ok? mou...

READ and REVIEW! No flames! (Have mercy... we have feelings you know! c; )

Arigato gozaimasu! Ja!


	2. Kiss

Summary: AU KK King Sagara of the Kasshin Kingdom assembled together a meeting of princes around the country to find a suitable husband for his sister. However, he hadn't expected her to fall in love with a mere soldier... or so they thought. AoMi SaMeg

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is not mine… yet. I'm nearing my birthday, by the way! It's on the 30th of January! Maybe... (gasps) maybe Watsuki-sama will give it to me! c;

Chapter 2: Kiss

"Our king."

The Kasshin monarch froze. "The king?" His eyes narrowed. "From what kingdom are you, anyway?"

"The Kingdom of Hiten Mitsurugi, Your Highness."

Oh damn. "Hiten Mitsurugi? You mean, you're from the samurai clan?" Sano asked disbelievingly. Kingdom Hiten was the most powerful kingdom in all Japan. All the best samurais from the war came from that land, especially the infamous Battousai- the legendary assassin.

Kaoru frowned. "Samurai? It's the first time I've ever heard of a samurai clan."

Misao glanced fleetingly at Kenshin, noticing he was also a samurai. "I've heard that the Battousai came from your clan..."

Kenshin nodded, his face an unreadable mask. "Hai."

"Our king, Seijuro Hiko, is the most powerful samurai. He was famed as the sensei of the legendary manslayer." Aoshi said.

"He's the one I'm supposed to marry?" Kaoru asked incredulously. "Isn't he old already?"

Kenshin smirked. "Yes, he is old, Your Highness. But no, he's not the one you're to marry."

"But he's the king!"

"I've heard rumors that King Hiko has already crowned his son, the prince, as king of the kingdom." Sano interrupted.

Aoshi nodded. "The young prince is the one you're to marry."

Misao knitted her eyebrows. "But, aren't you the prince, Aoshi-san?"

"I have a brother."

Misao's lips formed an 'O', and a mysterious smile adorned her lips. "Sou ka..."

"Oh. So when am I supposed to meet this prince?" Kaoru asked nervously, licking her lips. She seemed to notice that her seatmate had watched the movement hungrily, the distance between them disappearing. Her mouth quickly clamped shut. Fortunately, Misao and Sano were too busy looking at Aoshi and waiting for his answer to notice.

Molten amber eyes raked her form, and a hand crept to her waist, pulling her closer.

She swallowed, fixing her gaze on her brother, then shifted it to the man beside her. Closing her eyes when his face neared hers, his lips captured hers in a neat open-mouthed kiss.

A moan erupted from her throat.

Their simple kiss quickly escalated into a frenzied passionate one. Her hands desperately grabbed hold of his hair, while his own fisted on her raven tresses, drawing her near until the distance between them was impossible.

"Damn." a hoarse voice croaked.

"Oh. My. Gosh." another voice squealed.

A raised eyebrow.

Gasping for breath, she yanked herself from Kenshin's strong arms, turning to face her shocked family. "O-oniisan! M-misao!"

The redhead's breathing was ragged, his eyes glowing an unholy amber. After a few seconds, he got his bearings, and swept into a polite bow. "Forgive me, Your Highness." he said in a low voice, though a slight smirk graced his countenance.

A deep blush tinted her cheeks.

Sano gaped for one moment, then burst out laughing. "Never thought I'd see you kissing someone, Kaoru! Pretty hot and heavy now, aren't we?"

Misao stared at her pointedly, her eyes clearly conveying the message, "We'll talk... later."

Kenshin merely grinned rakishly.

"Who are you anyway?" Sano asked curiously.

The redhead bowed again. "Kenshin Himura, Your Highness. Commander-in-chief of the Hiten guards."

"Kenshin, huh? Oh well, as my sister asked, when can she meet this king?"

"We will schedule a meeting for them, and we shall return as soon as possible." Aoshi said.

Kaoru's throat constricted at the thought of Kenshin leaving. She smacked herself inwardly. How can she get attached to a man in a span of less than an hour? "Oh."

Aoshi bowed, bidding them farewell. Kenshin, on the other hand, took Kaoru's hand again and gave it a not-so-chaste kiss. She shuddered, feeling the faintest prick of his teeth on her flesh, his tongue tracing secret patterns on it.

"Farewell, Your Highness."

She could do nothing but nod weakly, her hand still in his.

Amber eyes gleamed softly. "I will come back for you, Kaoru..." he murmured so only she could hear.

Yanking her hand back, she put it above her pounding heart. He didn't call her princess. "O-of course..."

He smirked, gave another graceful bow that she'd come to love, then left.

Her eyes followed his form until the large palace doors closed. She failed to notice the identical evil grins sprouting on Sanosuke and Misao's faces.

"Soooooo..." Misao started, rubbing her palms together gleefully.

"When should I set the wedding date?" Sano asked, grinning ear to ear.

Kaoru gasped in surprise. "Oniisan! Misao!" She blushed as the full implication of her brother's words sank in. "W-what are y-you talking about?"

He snorted. "Che! You're practically ogling at the man... and I thought you were impotent..."

"Sano!"

"Come on, Kao. The air between the two of you was practically sizzling with... something..." Misao piped in.

"Sao!"

"The only problem is... his lord wants to marry you." he said thoughtfully. "... and I'm sure this Himura wants to marry you too..."

"Oniisan! How could you say such a thing? We just met!"

"Yeah. How could you kiss him like that? You just met!" he retorted dryly, amused.

Misao shook her head. "It's either you'll marry the guard, or the king. Personally, I'd prefer Kenshin for you, Kao-chan."

"Whoever said I will marry one of them?"

The younger princess waved her hand dismissively. "We KNOW you, Kao-chan. You don't need to say something for us to know. Anyway..."

"So what do we do, itachi-musume?"

"I think we should..."

Sano nodded in agreement. "I know. But it will be..."

Misao frowned, her eyebrows knitting. "We just can't stand here, Sano. We have to..."

Something in Kaoru snapped. "What on earth are you two talking about? You're not even finishing your sentences!"

"It's mental telepathy." Misao commented.

"Yeah, it's mental... something." Sano added. "Don't mind us, jou-chan. Just think of something to get the Himura guy marry you..."

Kaoru groaned exasperatedly, even stomping her feet on the ground in annoyance. "I just KNEW I shouldn't have kissed him in front of you... mou..."

* * *

Aoshi raised an eyebrow, staring pointedly at his so-called bodyguard. "Himura."

Kenshin tossed him a smirk, his vision of a beautiful blue-eyed princess vanishing and being replaced by Aoshi's inquisitive gaze. "Don't mind me, Your Highness. I was merely... thinking..."

The prince decided not to reply. After a moment of silence, he spoke again in his usual cold manner. "When I said no, I meant don't stand still."

The handsome guard chuckled. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but I do not understand your mood swings..."

"Perhaps." was the cool reply.

Aoshi swiftly mounted his gallant steed, a snow-colored one with the most beautiful mane. Kenshin's stallion, on the other hand, was the color of sable- proud and sleek, tossing its magnificent head back and forth.

"Where shall we go, Your Highness?"

Aoshi fleetingly glanced back at the Kasshin castle, then at the sun setting in the distant horizon. "Dusk."

Kenshin nodded, smiling slightly. It seems his attention was not the only one caught by a princess. "To the castle it is then..."

Aoshi glared darkly at the man. "And you don't understand my mood swings..."

The redhead shrugged. With that, the two rode back towards the castle.

* * *

Palace Garden...

Kaoru fumed, resisting the desire to just... wring... somebody's neck- particularly a spiky-haired somebody and a ninja princess somebody. How could they! "Me? Marrying somebody! I just look at a guy for a few seconds and the next thing I knew, they're hiring a priest!"

She viciously crunched a poor unsuspecting stone with the heel of her shoe. Ok, so maybe he's a very handsome guy...

"Argh! This is totally not the point!" she shrieked in frustration. She kicked the stone far away from her as possible, as if the poor thing was the cause of her worries. She kicked it with enough strength to send it rocketing towards the sky. She expected it to hurt some bird or something. Poor bird…

She didn't expect it to actually hurt somebody- namely, Kenshin Himura.

She was horrified to see him catch the stone in his hand. "H-himura-san!"

Kenshin blinked at her, staring mildly at his closed fist. Opening it, he found the stone rather digging into his palm. A few drops of blood dropped into the ground. "K-kaoru?"

She rushed to him, nodding slightly to the ever-composed Aoshi who was apparently standing behind the redhead. Kenshin was more important. _I don't care if I lose my composure in front of a prince..._ She winced as Kenshin casually plucked the stone as if he was just picking a flower from the ground.

"You can kick quite nicely, Princess..."

"I'm sorry!" she squeaked in embarrassment, gingerly holding his injured hand. "Does it hurt much?"

Kenshin smiled sofly at her. "Not anymore."

Aoshi coughed, and Kaoru whipped her head to see him staring at her with something akin to amusement. "I shall be going to see King Sagara, Your Highness."

She nodded, slightly confused. "O-of course... it's nice to see you again, Shinomori-san." Her attention was diverted again, however, when the redhead tugged on her hand.

"Kaoru."

"H-himura-san! Gomen!" Blushing and stuttering, she dragged him inside the castle, intent on bringing him to the clinic.

He had other plans.

Once they were inside, he hauled her against him, entering the nearest empty room. "This will do..." he muttered.

She wriggled in his arms, flushing crimson. "H-himura-san!"

Grinning roguishly, he once again captured her lips in a searing kiss.

She moaned in his mouth, her hands burying themselves in his hair as he pressed her closer.

"Kaoru..." he growled, when he pulled away. She panted for breath, clenching her fists.

"H-himura-s-"

"Kenshin." he murmured in her ear. "Call me Kenshin."

"K-kenshin..." she breathed. Unfortunately, she missed the way his eyes glinted when she said his name like that.

He leaned back to look at her, something warm in his gaze. "You are so beautiful, princess..."

She swallowed nervously. Was he going to kiss her again? _Not that I don't like his kiss, but..._ "A-arigato..."

He sighed, closing his eyes. When he opened them, they were of a pale amber color. "Come..." And he led her back outside to the hall.

She glanced at him, and a giggle almost rose from her throat. He looked so disheveled that it was obvious he was doing something... naughty... beforehand.

He smiled wryly at her, as though he had read her mind. "You don't look any better, Kaoru..."

She laughed. "Really?"

He chuckled, then, surprising her by carrying her, bridal-style. "You, princess... are very, very bad..."

A peal of laughter again erupted from her throat. Rubbing her nose affectionately with his, she smiled softly. "You are worse, Kenshin..." He was about to retort, when he stiffened.

"So... what do we have here?"

"The Prince of Hiten Mitsurugi."

Misao started. She glanced at Sanosuke questioningly. "Didn't he just leave?"

Sano shrugged.

Aoshi entered in his usual cool manner, bowing politely to the astonished pair. "I was wondering if Himura and I could stay the night."

Misao gaped.

Sano gaped.

"Uh... sure." he said finally, offering Aoshi a seat.

"Where's Kenshin?" she asked curiously.

Aoshi shrugged. "I left him with Princess Kaoru."

A slow grin creeped into Misao's features, imagining the events occuring with the pair. _Hmm…_ Leaning closer to Aoshi, she stared at him suspiciously. "You know Himura likes Kao-chan, don't you?"

Sano blinked. "Misao, what are you talking about? Of course he doesn't. He's planning to wed her to his brother."

Aoshi ALMOST smirked. "Of course I do. That's why I left him with her." he replied coolly, glancing at Misao.

A giggle rose from her throat. Clapping her hands gleefully like a child, she then patted his shoulder lightly. "I knew it! I KNEW IT!" Smiling a little bit wickedly, she took Aoshi into her confidence and told him their plans.

Sano's jaw dropped when he saw the Hiten prince listening intently. _I think I am about to lose two princesses at once..._ he thought ruefully.

Aoshi raised an eyebrow. "Let Himura stay here? I think that would cause a problem..."

Misao gasped. "A problem!" She clutched Aoshi's arm tightly, as if the problem would cause everything to crumble. "Tell me!"

Sanosuke rolled his eyes. "Misao, you're exaggerating..." Stupid weasel... just want to touch iceman...

Aoshi blinked when she touched him. "If Himura stays here, I need to stay here too. He is my bodyguard after all."

"Oh well... that's no problem for us, icebl- I mean, Aoshi-san!" Sano amended hastily. "You're free to-"

He was interrupted when Misao gasped again, this time in delight. "That's perfect! You are most definitely free to stay here in the palace whenever you want!"

Aoshi nodded slightly.

Sano glared at her. "Last time I checked, itachi, this is MY kingdom, not yours."

She glared back at him. "Hmph! Whatever, rooster. And Aoshi-san's not an iceblock!"

"NANI! Who are you calling rooster, itachi-musume!" Sano yelled, forgetting that he was king, and he had a royal visitor, and he stood up on the couch, cracking his fists.

"ITACHI! Why you-" Misao growled, producing a handful of kunai, ready to throw at the king.

Unfortunately, they didn't see the smile that flitted across Aoshi's face. Leaning back on his chair, he watched the two dignitaries try and hit each other.

Life in the Kasshin Palace was indeed never boring.

a/n: yey! i finally finished it! i'm sorry it took so long! i was actually reading it over and over again and making some changes! hehe... anyway, thanks to all those that reviewed for my first chappie! arigato gozaimasu! pls continue reviewing to my story! c;

**Ivy Tearen:** Ahh! Thank you for reviewing!

**MadiSano:** Yeah, i was also thinking 'bout Sano being the king but, hey! he's the only one i've got to be kao's nii-san! thank you for the review!

**Kaoru's sister:** thanks! c;

**tkdl:** hai! i will! thank you very much!

**antica:** hai, hai! arigato gozaimasu! c:

**Cheetara:** oro... well, that's for ME to know and for YOU to find out! hehe... really, it's not like that. thanks, by the way!

**Silent Midnight Rose:** why does everyyone on earth think like that? of course, this is a KK fic but... hehe... thanks!

**Reignashii:** hai! (smiles cheerfully) i KNOW i'm evil! the king? he'll appear sometime in the next chappies... sorry for you people waiting! thanks for reviewing!

**Rikka-chan:** yup! thanks!

**Sunnykh:** c;

**my-reflection:** hehe... sorry for making you wait! here it is! thanks for the review!

**abubi-chan:** nope! hehe... hiko WAS the king, you know? just read on and find out! arigato! c;

**evilalternateendingstorywriter: **oro... you have a weird name... anyway, as it's pretty obvious, this isn't a one shot and i've finally updated! thank you for the review and pls update Robin Hood: RK Style soon! ja! c;


	3. Close

Summary: AU KK King Sagara of the Kasshin Kingdom assembled together a meeting of princes around the country to find a suitable husband for his sister. However, he hadn't expected her to fall in love with a mere soldier... or so they thought. AoMi SaMeg

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is not mine, unfortunately. Aah! I think I have to resort to drastic measures... will begging him do? c:

Chapter 3: Close

"So... what do we have here?"

Kenshin frowned, glancing slightly at the blushing woman in his arms. He glared at the man who interrupted them, and something like recognition flashed in his gaze.

Dark amber met smoky blue.

Unexpectedly, Kenshin smirked, putting Kaoru down gently.

The man smiled too, and he neared the pair, sticking out a hand. "It's nice to see you again, Himura-san."

The redhead grasped the hand tightly. "It's been too long since I've seen you. Wandering did you good, I guess."

The man ran a hand across his hair, slightly ruffled from the wind outside. "Hai. I've just gotten back. Never thought I'd see you here..."

Kaoru raised her head at the two, then smiled at the newcomer. "Anou... you know each other, Sou?"

Soujiro Seta laughed goodnaturedly, staring pointedly at the Kasshin princess. "Your Highness! Fancy seeing you there..." His smile was contagious, and a grin also settled across her features.

She enveloped him in a friendly hug. "Kenshin's right. Wandering probably did you good. You look... well, healthy!"

He mock-frowned, leaning back to look at her. "Are you implying that I was weak?"

She giggled, and Kenshin had to intervene before Soujiro decided to smack the woman albeit playfully. "She didn't mean that, Seta, I'm sure. What brings you here?"

Soujiro shrugged. "I just missed my cousins."

"Missed us? Ha!" Kaoru joked, bopping his head. "Sanosuke was going crazy when you left. You were gone for almost three years!"

"Maa, maa... that hurt, Your Highness..." Deciding to bring away the topic from himself, he stared curiously at Kenshin. "If you're here, then Prince Aoshi is here too, right?"

"You know Aoshi-san too?" Kaoru asked disbelievingly.

Soujiro narrowed his eyes at Kenshin's smirk. "The question is... why are YOU here with Her Excellency, Princess Kaoru Kamiya?"

The reply he got was a bigger, but rather evil grin.

He thought for a moment, then... "Aha!" He looked back and forth between Kenshin and Kaoru. "You, my friends, are planning to run away!" he declared triumphantly.

She sweatdropped. What gave him that idea?

Kenshin merely raised an eyebrow. "What, pray tell, gave you that idea?"

She sweatdropped more. How did HE know what was on her mind?

Soujiro danced away from her reach before replying. "Himura-san was carrying you, Kaoru!"

"Baka Sou..."

Kenshin shook his head at their antics. Kaoru noticed this, and thinking that he was jealous, she once again went to his side, clinging to his arm tightly. He raised an eyebrow.

Soujiro bit his lip to keep himself from laughing. "I know now... you two are DEFINITELY having a secret affair!"

She blanched. "S-sou!"

"It's not exactly secret when other people know about it, isn't it?" Kenshin muttered to himself.

Soujiro clapped his hands gleefully. "Ha! I figured that out by myself!"

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Sou? You okay?"

Her cousin grinned... wickedly. "Never been better, cous. So I'll be going now... got to check on Ou-sama! Have fun with Himura-san!" he said cheerfully, bounding away.

She shook her head. "I think wandering loosened the gears on his brain..."

Kenshin's face turned thoughtful. "Seta reminds me of Makimachi-san..." he mused.

She laughed. "You think so? Oniisan and I think so too..."

He smiled at her softly, pulling her to his side. He kissed the crown of her head tenderly. "You go now, Kaoru. I shall be attending to my lord."

She pouted cutely, leaving the comfort of his arms. "Mou... did Sou do something to make you leave?"

He grinned, winking at her suggestively. "Don't worry. I'll be at your room later on!" he called, his smile anything but nice.

"KENSHIN!"

* * *

"Sou-chan!"

Sano whipped his head towards the door, lifting his head from discussing marriage plans with Aoshi. "Soujiro?"

"The Prince of Oni-"

Misao ran towards the great palace doors, nodding vigorously at the surprised herald, and grabbed the hand of her older brother.

Aoshi blinked.

Her smile was as dazzling as the sun as she dragged the man to join the meeting.

"Soujiro!" Sano boomed, patting his back rather strongly. "You're back!"

Soujiro scratched his head shyly, his smile a little strained. "Sorry I was gone for so long, Ou-sama. Mi didn't even know I was going to leave either. And that's saying something..."

She squealed in delight. "But he's back!" She looked at Aoshi. "Aoshi-san, this is Soujiro Seta and he's my-"

"Tenken?"

Her jaw dropped, glancing at Aoshi in surprise. "Y-you know oniisan?"

Soujiro extended a hand towards the Hiten prince, smiling fully. "Ohji-sama. It's extremely nice to see you again."

Aoshi nodded coolly, grasping the hand firmly then shook it. "Same here, Tenken."

Sano scratched his head, confused. "I just wanna know, Soujiro. How on earth did you know iceb- I mean, Aoshi-san here!" he amended hastily, glancing at his female cousin.

Misao glared at him darkly in return.

"Oh, I've visited the Hiten kingdom a few times." Soujiro replied easily. He grinned at Aoshi. "I've seen Himura-san on my way here..."

The tall man shrugged.

Sou's eyes twinkled merrily. "He was with Kaoru-san. This isn't one of your plans to marry Himura-san off, is it?"

A giggle rose from her throat.

"He was getting old." was the cool reply.

The smile stopped halfway from reaching her lips. "Old? Himura is old?" she hissed.

"24."

She let out a sigh of relief. "I thought he was 30 or something... thank Kami..." Her eyes widened. "W-what? He's already 24!"

Soujiro grinned. "I know Himura-san looks too young for his age. When I met him in the Hiten court, I thought he was merely twenty or something."

Misao nodded. "He had me fooled... hmm, you did say you had been at the Hiten palace?"

His smile froze, blue eyes darting to meet icy ones. "Yes."

Sano leaned forward. "Have you seen the prince?"

"Of course he has." Aoshi interrupted smoothly. "Several times, in fact."

Soujiro chuckled nervously. "H-hai."

Her lips curved into an evil grin. "What does he look like? Tall? Handsome?"

Sano snorted. "Just ask him if the prince looks like Aoshi, itachi."

She colored prettily. "Oh you shut up, tori-atama."

Soujiro looked at Aoshi, then almost dissolved at the glare the taller man gave. "He's- he's-"

She stared at him eagerly. "Don't miss out on any details, Sou-niisan..." she said. "Or else." The wicked smile on her face proved her point.

Soujiro gulped. "A-anou-"

"Princess Kaoru." a voice announced.

All of them quickly sat back on their seats, except for Aoshi who remained aloof, staring fixedly on the man beside Kaoru.

"I'm sorry I was late." Kaoru said apologetically, sitting gracefully beside Sanosuke.

The king waved his hand dismissively, glancing at his sister to the redhead and back. "Yeah, yeah. We know you were busy..."

She blushed. "Oniisan!"

"Himura." Aoshi called quietly. The redhead left his position from behind Kaoru and went to his lord.

"Your Highness?"

Kaoru watched, mesmerized, as Kenshin leaned, his crimson hair falling in slight waves over his shoulder. Her fingers twitched, remembering the feel of it on her hands.

A slow predatory smile lit up his features. Bowing slightly to Aoshi, Kenshin returned to his position behind Kaoru.

She tilted her head curiously at him. "What did Aoshi-san say?"

"We will be staying here for a while." was his reply.

"Really?" She smiled at him softly, lowering her lashes shyly. "I am so glad you're staying..."

Sano rolled his eyes. "Aren't they more obvious? Sheesh..."

"Don't talk anymore, Sano. I think they're going to kiss..." Misao whispered excitedly, clutching Aoshi's sleeve tightly.

Aoshi blinked.

Soujiro grinned at that. "I think Shinomori-san doesn't mind Mi much..." he said to Sano.

"Che! I can't-" He was interrupted by Misao's shriek.

"Argh! I thought they were going to kiss!" she cursed, glaring daggers at the couple.

Kenshin smiled innocently, brushing away some imaginary dirt on Kaoru's hair. "Your Highness, what on earth are you talking about?"

Kaoru blushed crimson, bowing her head. "M-mou..." _I thought he was going to kiss me too..._

Sanosuke ran his hands across his brown spiky hair exasperatedly. "Che! Misao-weasel, just leave them alone, will you? I am getting headaches just by hearing your weasel voice..."

The younger princess huffed primly. "Whatever rooster. You are such a jerk."

The king sneered. "Is that all you can come up with? Very original."

Her sea-green eyes blazed. "Thank you, ROOSTER. But I'd appreciate it very much if you don't talk anymore." She smiled wickedly. "You pollute the air."

"WHY YOU-"

Soujiro sighed, looking apologetically at Aoshi. "Gomen nasai, Shinomori-san. They were always like that... uh, Shinomori-san?"

Narrowed blue eyes closely watched the royal cousins banter. "They were always like that?" Aoshi said, his voice dangerously low and icy.

Kaoru nodded, a soft smile on her face, not noticing the prince's clipped baritone. "Hai... as long as I can remember..."

Kenshin merely raised an eyebrow. If looks could kill, the king would be dead by now. He leaned forward to whisper to her. "My lord is jealous, Kaoru..."

Her eyes widened considerably like saucers, glancing at Aoshi. "Oh! Oops..."

Misao scoffed at Sanosuke's lame retort, jumping to her chair, a kunai placed casually between her fingers. "Really now? Why don't you just pick your lazy ass and find a wife, baka tori-atama?" she countered.

Sanosuke growled, cracking his fists. "What's that got to do with anything!"

Soujiro sweatdropped. How on earth did they arrive on this topic?

Kaoru blanched. She knew her brother had a soft spot when it concerns his lovelife... or rather, lack of one. "Now, now, Sao-chan, don't talk like that."

Misao laughed gleefully, glaring down at her cousin. "Of course, Kao-chan. Only for you." She promptly sat back down, squeezing beside Aoshi and Soujiro, her kunai hidden in the folds of her clothes.

Sano grumbled inaudibly. "Che! Just be glad my sister's here, weasel..."

She grinned at him. "I'm not backing down, Ou-sama."

Her brother gulped when he saw Aoshi's fists clenched. He smacked his forehead inwardly. Why on earth would Shinomori-san get jealous over Sanosuke?

Misao was grinning triumphantly at her cousin when she noticed Kaoru's eyes signaling at her to stop. Her smile fell, sensing something was wrong. Kaoru's blue eyes kept darting at something... something. _Nani?_

She also noticed Kenshin's amused half-smile, and his head was tilted slightly towards the man beside her. She was surprised, but nodded anyway.

"Aoshi-san!" she suddenly burst out, her chirpy voice back. His cold eyes shifted to her, and for a moment, she thought it softened.

Or maybe that was just her wild imagination.

"How long shall you be staying here? A week? A month? Two? A year? Forever?" she asked excitedly. She blinked. _Why on earth am I excited anyway? _"You're always welcome at our kingdom, Aoshi-san! I mean, you'll like it there, if you don't wanna live here!"

"You're not giving him a chance to answer, Mi." Soujiro pointed out cheerfully, glad that the tension which enveloped the room was eased.

She blinked again. "Oops! Sorry!"

Sanosuke shook his head dryly. "This is getting really weird..." he muttered. "Imouto's flirting with a redhead, and the weasel's flirting with an iceblock! What in the world!"

Kenshin and Kaoru glanced at each other, then smiled. Misao glared at him. Soujiro's smile almost fell again from his face as Aoshi almost smirked.

Aoshi... smirked? SMIRKED? Well, it was just a little twitching of the corner of his mouth but that counts for something at least, right?

"Pigs are flying..." Sou mumbled to himself. "Next thing I know, Ou-sama's going to get married..."

"Oh!" Misao clapped her hands in a sudden inspiration. "Since you people are staying here, we got to find you rooms!"

Sanosuke rolled his eyes. "Weasel, we have about 150 bedrooms here in my castle. It's not as if we'll find none suitable for their needs..."

A kunai was promptly thrown at him, embedded in the spot next to his ear.

"Anyway, Aoshi-san has to have the best room in this castle, and of course, Himura should be right next to Aoshi-san's... hmm..."

"Don't think too much about it, weasel… let's look at it this way." He pointed to Kenshin. "This guy stays in my little sister's room."

"Grand idea, Sanosuke! I can't believe you possibly have a brain!"

He flashed her a sardonic smile. "And Aoshi here stays in YOUR room." He chuckled. "An absolutely grand idea, isn't it, Misao?"

She positively snarled at him.

Soujiro heaved a deep sigh. "Don't mind them. Kaoru-san and I shall lead you to your rooms instead…"

Kenshin cursed softly.

Kaoru blinked at him curiously. "Nani?"

"Damn. I thought I was going to stay in your room."

She blushed. "Baka."

Soujiro stood up, smiling jovially. "Well? Shinomori-san, Himura-san, let us go. Kaoru-san? Are you not coming?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so… I'll probably retire in my room…"

"Well, bye!" He and the guests departed.

She watched her relatives fight with each other like kids for a few minutes before she dragged Misao away. "Come now, Mi… there's no use fighting with a chicken head like brother… you're just wasting your time…"

Misao shrugged. "I know, but it's fun."

"HEY!"

Sanosuke slumped back in his seat in frustration. "I can NEVER understand women…" He leaned back in his seat, rubbing his temple slowly. "Hiten Mitsurugi, huh? Wonder who's their king…" He sat up. "Wait a second… smiley-boy didn't tell us how he looked like! Curses…" he muttered. "Che! I better go and do my duties… I keep on forgetting I'm the king…" He was about to leave when a trumpet blew.

"The Princess of Hiten Mitsurugi."

* * *

_**a/n:** OMG! i finally finished it! it's been, like, SO long since i've started this and i'm so freakin' happy! i hope you people still review this chappie... i am currently having writer's block so if you have any good suggestions, please send me a message! no flames please! anyway, yeah, it's sou-chan in the second chappie… i was thinking to add enishi in the story but i positively hate him (sorry to enishi fans out there!) at least sou-chan's very lovable… don't you just love his smile? anyway, i want you to guess who this princess of hiten mitsurugi is… i KNOW it's extremely obvious but well… i just want to know if we're on the same level of thinking you know… and maybe, i might have to change this character at the last possible minute! who knows? so pls PLEASE review my story! arigato gozaimasu! ja!_

_PS. in case you want a good story to read, try looking for RAVYN-sama and read her (is he/she a girl? stupid question...) stories... they are ABSOLUTELY amazing... she's so great! hi ravyn-san! c; _

**Reignashii:** oro? well, kenshin was never ordinary anyway... and what do you mean when kao finds out about ken? i mean, he's just the chief royal guard, right? c;

**Bella-chan:** REALLY! wow... cool... i never thought i'd find someone here in ffnet with the same birthdate as mine... cool... yeah, i KNOW it's a little too fast but i really want to see them together in my chappies... hehe... i'm a hopeless romantic... c:

**MadiSano:** hehe... well, sano's a little different older brother here, you know... and he really likes to see kao get married off... i'm thinking of making sano use some 'pleasant language' too but i thought it contradicts with his royal dignitary image... oh well... and sano ain't married to meg, YET. she'll appear sometime in the later chappies... thanks for the review! ; )

**Silent Midnight Rose:** i KNOW. you're like the nth person who said that... hehe... thanks for the compliment about the kk moment by the way! i'll try not to make their relationship go too fast... arigato!

**gabyhyatt**: kitsune-chan will be appearing sometime in the later chappies... plz wait! thanks! c;

**legolasEstelstar:** thank you! misao-aoshi? i'll keep that in mind... and (hehe...) their relationship isn't turning into raw lust... just a little bit of kisses and hugs to satisfy the physical attraction... i guess it's love at first sight or something... what do you mean lying to kao about who he is? as far as i'm concerned, the only thing i've written about ken is he's the chief royal guard! what, do you think he's the king? OMG! c ; thanks for giving advice! happy new year to you too (though i know it's late) ja!

**half-breed-demon-fox:** you like it? thanks! c:

**abubi-chan:** i was thinking of courting too but not with kenshin and kaoru... i mean, she's going to marry the hiten king after all so ken's forbidden to court her... who's aoshi's brother? (evil grin) just stay in touch and find out! c:

**coldsunshin:** yeah, i will! thanks for the review!

**Sapphire Lupe:** THANK YOU! i love kk moments too, you know? that's why i make them! hehehe... anyway, i don't think kenji will appear... yet. i'm still thinking what he's character will be... arigato! ja! God Bless you too! c;

**my-reflection:** um... thank you for the CHOCOLATE CHUNK cookie (grabs the cookie), but i don't hink i'll update soon unless...

you give me more CHOCOLATE CHUNK cookies! hehehe! c: just kidding! hope you like this chappie!

All thanks to **Evangelion10119** and **GreenAnimeLover**! Hope you like this chapter! keep reading! Ja! P;


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